Razor and magazine



March 16, 1954 E. A. NELSON 2,671,961

RAZOR AND MAGAZINE Filed Dec. 16, 1948 2 She ets-Sheet 1 42 INVENTOR EDGAR A. NELSON I TTORN EY March 16, 1954 NELSON 2,671,961

RAZOR AND MAGAZINE Filed Dec. 16, 1948 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDGAR A, NELSON ATTORNEY BYW Patented Mar. 16, 1954 RAZOR AND MAGAZINE Edgar A. Nelson, New York, N. Y., assignor to American Safety Razor Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Virginia Application December 16, 1948, Serial No. 65,580

17 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to razors, and has particular reference to razors of the injector type.

It is a general object of the invention to provide certain improvements in the type of shaving apparatus which comprises a razor adapted to support a blade upon a blade seat, a separate blade magazine adapted to accommodate a stack of blades and provided with an exit slot through which one of the blades may be discharged, and co-acting means on the blade magazine and razor for separably connecting the two in proper relationship for blade transfer.

The razor to which the invention relates is provided with a space into which a blade may be introduced, and which is enlargeable in the plane of the blade, and with a manually operable means for enlarging said space. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a means for blocking completion of the interengagement between theblade magazine and the razor unless the enlargeable space is first manually enlarged.

The features of the invention have been particularly devised for a razor whose blade seat has front stops, and which is provided with a retractable pusher for engaging a blade and urging it in a direction transverse to the cutting edge to bring the cutting edge against the stops. The pusher is formed on the upper part of a pivoted element, the lower part being a finger piece by means of which the pusher may be retracted. The blade seat is formed of parts which also define a positioning channel. The blade magazine is provided with two tongues, one Of the tongues being adapted to enter snugly into the positioning channel, the other being adapted to block completion of said entry unless the pusher is first manually retracted. The present construction is such that when the pusher is retracted, the last-mentioned tongue engages with the pusher to hold it in retracted position during the period of blade transfer from the magazine to the razor.

These and other features are among those which characterize the present improved construction, in pursuance of the general objective to provide a workmanlike and reliable construction which may be manufactured feasibly and economically, and which is simple to use when placed in the hands of the user.

I achieve the foregoing general objects and advantages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter. appear or be pointed. out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:'

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a razor of the type to which the presentinvention relates;

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the two main parts of which the razor is formed;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing a blade in association with the razor and in shaving position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the blade magazine adapted to cooperate with the razor of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the rear plug forming part of the blade magazine;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 'l--'! of Fig. 5, but showing the ejector element in retracted position;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the blade magazine;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the razor and magazine in partially engaged relationship;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line Ie-l 0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the magazine and razor in fully engaged relation; and

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view along the line l2--l2 of Fig. 11.

The parts entering into the razor construction include the elements 20 and 2| rigidly secured together by screws 22 to define a blade seat, a blade cover slightly above the blade seat, and a positioning channel directly beneath the blade seat. Preferably, and usually, these parts are composed of suitable metal. The body portion of the element 20 is substantially flat, to define the blade seat; its forward edge is constructed to define the usual safety guard provided with front stops 23, and its rear edge is turned down to define the attachment portion 24. The upper part of this latter portion is provided with openings with which the screws 22 engage; the lower part of the attachment portion 24 is hollow and is secured at its lower end to the upper part of a handle 25.

At one end, the element 20 has an integral holding member 26 turned to lie beneath the blade seat, yet spaced from the latter by a predetermined distance, to define a positioning channel or receiving space.

The part 2| is shaped to define an attachment portion 2'! through which the screws or rivets 22 extend, and a.portion 28 which overlies the rear part of the blade seat at a slight distance above the latter. Preferably the portion 28 is provided with the slit or aperture 29, and the narrow part 30 which lies forwardly of this aperture is bowed downwardly by a slight degree. The space between the blade seat and the cover defines a blade receiving channel adapted to receive and accommodate a blade, such as the blade 3| illustratively shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The bowed part 30 of the cover bears lightly against the blade but only to keep it from rising from the seat. The space between the blade seat and ,the cover is sufficient at all times to permit longitudinal and lateral movement 'of the blade.

Pivoted to the part 24, at 32, is an element in the form of a lever whose upper part 33 is a retractable blade pusher, and whose lower part 34 is a finger piece. Mounted between the part 34 and the front wall of the razor part 2E, is a spring, such as the leaf spring 35, which normally urges the finger piece 3:3 rearwardly, and thus urges the pusher part 33 forwardly. The blade cover 23 is provided with an opening 35 through which the pusher part 33 projects, so that the pusher is a daptedtobear against the rear edge of a blade on the blade seat, the spring 35 urging the blade forwardly against the blade stops 23. This places the blade in proper shaving relation to the blade seat, this relationship of parts being shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The space between the blade stops 23 and the pusher 33 may be enlarged rearwardly byexerting manual pressure upon the finger piece 35. This serves to compress the spring 35, and retracts the pusher 33. This relationship of parts is shown there. 12. p

In Figs. 5-8 I have illustrated a blade magazine, and for the sake of clearness I have omitted the showing of all blades from Figs. 5 and 8, and I have chosen to illustrate only a few blades in Fig. '7. It will be observed that the blade magazine is anelongated chamber 31 provided in its wall 3'8 with an exit slot 39. This exit slot is preferably arranged close to the top wall of the chamber 3i, so that the uppermost blade of a stack of blades within the magazine may be expelled endwise through the exit slot 39. In the upper wall of the magazine there is a longitudinal slot ie within which an ejector t! is guided. This ejector has an external part engageable bythe finger of a user, a neck which passes through the slot 53, and an internal blade-pushing part &2 (see Fig. 7 The blades within the magazine are constantly urged upwardly by a spring such as that shown at as (Fig. 7) and the top wall oi the magazine is so constructed thatthe uppermost blade is accurately positioned at the level of the exit slot 39, and directly in front of the pusher part "42 of the blade ejector. I

It is well-known in magazines of thi general type that a retractive movement of the ejector M to the position of Fig. '7 brings the pusher part 52 behind the rear edge of the uppermost blade, to that advancement of the ejector M to the opposite end of the slot til will discharge this blade endwise out of the exit slot 59.

The blades are loaded into the magazine through the rear open end of the body thereof, and this end is then sealed by the plug ta shown most clearly in 'Fig. 6. For lightness and low expense, thi s plug may be made hollow, as shown inost clearly in Fig. '7. Its front wall is provided with a rib '45 adapted to engage with a central cut-out in the blade, as indicated in dot-and-dash lines at 46 in Fig. 6. (The opposite end wall of the magazine is simalarly provided on its interior with "a rib (5'! (Fig. 5), which engages with the corresponding cut-out at the opposite end "of the blade.) The shallow depression '48 in the upper isilri c' bigt P ug 4'4 "is to accommodate the Pusher part t2 'or the blade ejector when it is retracted position as shown in Fig. '7. To keep the uppermost blade from shifting laterally toward its cutting edge (since the uppermost blade lies no longer within the control of the ribs 55 and 5?), the plug M is preferably provided with the beveled surface 49 against which a corner or the cutting edge of the blade will bear.

The projections 50 formed on the side walls of the plug 44 have forwardly converging faces, and rearwardly directed shoulders. The projections 59 make the plug slightly wider than the rear end of the magazine body, so that when the plug is inserted it must be forced in. This is accompanied a sufficient resilient yielding, so that the projections 59 ultimately accommodate themselves within suitable recesses on the interior of the side walls of the magazine body. This prevents the plug from being withdrawn without destruction of the magazine, and thus keeps the magazine sealed after it has been loaded.

Two significant parts of the magazine, so far as the present invention is concerned, are the two fingers which project from the end wall 33 of the magazine as shown most clearly in Figs. 5-, 7 and 8 One of the projections is a positioning tongue or attaching finger 5|. This tongue has a flat part 52 substantially parallel to the exit slot 39, and adapted to fit snugly into the positioning channel formed on the razor between the blade seat and the part 25. The part 52 of the positioning tongue has the stepped extension indicated at for the purpose of being held snugly with the stepped guard edge part of the razor, whose cross-sectional contour is shown most clearly in Figs. 4, 10 and 12 and prevent lateral displacement of the attaching finger in the receiving space. The angular part 5d of the projection 5| is provided merely for stiffening purposes. I I

Near the forward end of the part 52 of the tongue 5| there is a recess or depression 55. This engages releasably with a round bump 56 formed on the underside of the blade seat. lhe bump 56 and the depression 55 act as detent elements, snapping resiliently into and "out of engagement with each other when they are brought into and out of registry. In a sense, the bump 55 may be said to be carried by the positioning channel,

and so arranged that when the positioning tongue 5| is in its fully inserted position relative to the positioning channel, the detent elements and 56 will be in registry.

I It is the snapping interengagement between the parts 55 and 56 which assures the user of the device that the positioning tongue 5| has been fully entered into the positioning channel. In this relationship of the parts, the end wall 38 of the mace magazine is in close proximity to the end edge of the razor, as shown in Fig. 11, the co -acting positioning parts of the razor and magazine serving to bring the exit slot 39 into proper aligned relation to the blade seat, so that a bladetrans'fer maybe effected.

The other projecting tongue or "second finger which isr rmed on theend wall 38 of the blade magazine is designated by the reference numeral 51. It is of such length, and is so positioned, that its extreme end surfaces 53 will abut against the pusher 33 unless the pusher is first manually retracted. This relationship of parts is best shown in Figs. 9 and '10. it is to be observed that the pusher, these figures, is in its unretrated position. The positioning tongue 51hr the magazine is edi 1y insjei'table iritb *th'e positioning channeron the razcr, "but it "is iiripessible *to beltplete the interengagement between the magazine and the razor, inasmuch as the end surface 58 of the tongue 51, and the proximate side surface of the pusher 33, serve as mutual abutments'which encounter each other. Y

It is also to be noted that the pusher 33 is provided with a recess 59 which is so positioned that if the pusher is retracted as indicated in Fig. 12, the tongue 51 is free to enter between the pusher 33 and the fixed part of the razor. This permits the user to complete the interengagement of the magazine and razor, and he recognizes that the interengagement is complete when the detent elements 55 and 56 snap into engagement.

In operation, therefore, it is contemplated that the user will grasp the razor. in one hand, and the magazine in the other, and will insert the positioning tongue into the positioning channel lying between the blade seat and the part 26. If the user manually presses upon the finger piece 34 to retract the pusher 33, he is immediately enabled to complete the interengagement between magazine and razor, and when this has been accomplished, he may release the finger piece 34 since it will be held in retracted position by the tip end of the tongue 51. He then moves the ejector 4! from the rear position to the forward position, and the uppermost blade is ejected from the exit slot 39 and advances endwise onto the blade seat of the razor. This advancement is along a part of the blade seat which lies rearwardly of the front stops, as indicated by the blade 60 shown in Figs. and 12.

If there is already a blade on the blade seat, the introduction of the new blade 60 will expel the old blade, notwithstanding the fact that these blades do not have their cutting edges in alignment.

After the blade 60 has been fully introduced into position on the blade seat, by advancing the ejector 4| to its fullest extent, the magazine may be withdrawn from the razor. As this withdrawal is initiated, the forward tip of the tongue '51 moves out of the recess 59, and the pusher is thereupon free to engage the rear edge of the blade 60, and to push it forwardly against the blade stops.

During the procedure of loading the razor with a fresh blade, as hereinbefore described, there is a possibility that the user may inadvertently fail to retract the pusher 33. In such a case, he is reminded of the necessity for manually retracting the pusher by the fact that the magazine fails to complete its engagement with the razor, the parts being blocked when they reach the spaced relationship shown in Fig. 9. The user is thus warned not to attempt to effect a blade transfer, because the parts are not in proper aligned relationship for carrying out this procedure. If the user thereupon manually exerts pressure upon the finger piece 34 and thus brings the pusher into its retracted position, the interengagement of the magazine and razor may be completed, as hereinbefore described.

In many respects, the details herein described and illustrated may obviously be modified by those skilled in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A magazine for dispensing razor blades having locating notches in their end edges, comprising, a blade stack holding container open at one said receiving space.

end and provided with a blade exit slot in the end wall opposite thereto, a closure for said open end of the container, said closure having on its inner surface a guide post projecting inwardly of the container and extending to the level of said exit slot for interengaging with saidnotches in the end edges of the stacked blades and a beveled surface also projecting inwardly of the container and extending above the level of said guide post for engaging the corners of the stacked blades at their shaving edges, whereby an outermost blade in the stack, while being elevated above-the level of the guide post to a position in readiness for ejection movement toward the exit slot, will be prevented from transverse movement toward a container wall to safeguard its shaving edge.

.2. The combination of a razor and magazine comprising a razor having a razor head composed of a blade seat and a clamping member defining a blade receiving channel therebetween, a holding member underlying the blade seat and defining a receiving space therebetween, a magazine having a transverse blade exit mouth adjacent the top of one end-wall, a flat attaching finger below said exit mouth and spaced therefrom, said attaching finger being transversely parallel to said exit mouth and. enterable into said receiving space, and cooperating holding means being provided on said attaching finger and said receiving space to prevent lateral shifting of the attaching finger with respect to the receiving space and to hold said attaching finger in said receiving space.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said holding member is integral with said blade seat.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said cooperating holding means comprise a stepped side extension on said attaching finger and a cooperating stepped end space on 5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said holding means also include a detent on said attaching finger and a cooperating hump on said razor head for engagement with said detent.

6. The combination of a razor and a magazine comprising a razor having a razor head composed of a blade seat and a clamping member defining a blade receiving channel, a holding member underlying the blade seat and defining a receiving space therebetween, a pusher movably mounted on said razor head and yieldably biased to an operative position wherein it advances a blade to shaving position, said pusher being movable from operative position to inoperative position to enlarge the blade receiving channeL'a magazine having a transverse blade exit mouth adjacent the top of one end wall, a flat attaching finger below said exit mouth and spaced therefrom, said attaching finger being transversely parallel to said exit mouth and enterable into said receiving space, cooperating holding means being provided on said attaching finger and said receiving space, and attachment preventing means being provided for preventing attachment of the magazine when said pusher is in operative position.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said attachment preventing means include pusher retaining means on the magazine automatically operable upon attachment thereof to the razor, to retain the pusher member in inoperative position until the magazine is detached.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 6,

1 wh rein. said. attachment preventing means; corn.- prise a second finger on the magazine which extends beyond the attachment finger.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said pusher retaining means comprise an opening formed in, said pusher to accommodate said second finger when said pusher is in its inoperative position, whereby the pusher is retained in inoperative position.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said attachment preventing means com.- prise an abutting wall on said pusher engage able with said second finger when the pusher is in operative position.

11. For use with a razor having a blade receiving space, a magazine. having a transverse blade exit mouth adjacent the top on one end wall, a fiat razor attaching finger below said exit mouth and spaced therefrom, said attaching finger being transversely parallel to said exit mouth, and holding means on said attaching finger engageable with a razor part to assure registration of the magazine exit mouth with the blade receiving space, said holding means comprising a vertically stepped side extension on said attaching finger.

12. For use with a razor having a blade channel, a receiving space, and a pusher movable from operative position to inoperative position to lengthen and shorten the depth of the blade channel, a magazine having a transverse exit mouth adjacent the top of one wall, a fiat attaching finger below said exit mouth and spaced therefrom, said attaching finger being transversely parallel to said exit mouth, holding means being provided on said attaching finger to hold said magazine to said razor, pusher retaining means being provided on said magazine to retain the pusher of the razor in inoperative po sition, and attachment preventing means being provided on said magazine to prevent attachment of said magazine to said razor when the pusher is in operative position.

13. A magazine as set forth in claim 12, wherein said pusher retaining means and said attachment preventing means comprise a second finger 8; extending outwardly beyond the attaching finger.

14. For use with a magazine having an attaching finger and a second finger, a razor having a blade seating member and a clamping member to define a blade receiving channel, a pusher member movably mounted on the razor and yieldably biased. to. an operative position to push a blade to shaving position and movable to inoperative position to lengthen said blade receiving channel, a holding member underlying said seating member and spaced therefrom into which the attaching member of the magazine is insertable, holding means provided. on said razor to hold said attaching finger, attachment preventing means provided. on said pusher to prevent attachment of the magazine when said pusher is. in operative position, and pusher retaining means provided on said pusher to retain said pusher in inoperative position.

15. Av razor as set forth in claim 14, wherein said holding means comprise a stepped end space of said receiving space.

16. A razor as set forth in claim 14, wherein said pusher is a lever mounted on said razor and said attachment preventing means comprise an abutting wall on said lever engageable with the second finger on the magazine when the pusher is in operative position.

17. A razor as set forth in claim 14, wherein said pusher retaining means comprise an opening formed in said lever to accommodate said second finger when said pusher is in operative position.

EDGAR A. NELSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,058,633 Rodrigues Oct. 2'7, 1936 2,270,543 Muros Jan. 20, 1942 2,311,913 Testi, Feb. 23, 1943 2,316,600 Kuhnl Apr. 13, 1943 2,361,230 Muros Oct. 24, 1944 2,365,582 Muros Dec. 19. 194.4 2,436,026 Steinbach. Feb. 1'7, 1948 

